TIFF: Forever Pure & Girl Unbound

As is customary every four years, sports fans and casual viewers alike were glued to their TV screens this summer for the Olympic games. Throughout the 16-day event, the core Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence were on full display and celebrated worldwide. But as a pair of eye-opening sports documentaries prove, this ideal of sportsmanship is not always upheld.

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TIFF: City of Tiny Lights

As the lines between TV and film are increasingly blurred, there’s no doubt that film directors have had to step up their game to draw in audiences. Particularly in the realm of gritty crime dramas, cinema has had to contend with outstanding work from small screen counterparts on cable and even network series. Indeed, films like Pete Travis‘ respectable neo-noir “City of Tiny Lights” face a tall order in trying to feel fresh.

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TIFF: Vaya & We Are Never Alone

When it comes to international film festivals, it’s almost a given that there will be at least one dark multi-narrative film among the lineup. This year’s Toronto International Film Festival was no exception. Hailing from two countries as vastly different as South Africa and the Czech Republic, respectively, directors Akin Omotoso and Petr Václav brought a pair of harrowing ensemble dramas.

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TIFF: The Birth of a Nation

When Nate Parker‘s directorial debut “The Birth of a Nation” was announced as a Sundance selection, the knee-jerk reaction was to be expected. Many groaned that we didn’t need another “slavery film.” The concern was understandable, especially in a year that included “Underground” and “Roots” on TV. But as its Sundance reception showed, this passionate film captured an aspect of slavery that audiences needed to see.

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TIFF: Joe Cinque's Consolation

Disturbing, unsettling, infuriating. These are the adjectives that will likely come to mind in response to "Joe Cinque’s Consolation", the debut feature from director Sotiris Dounoukos. A misanthropist’s delight, this unflattering portrait of Australian society truly gets under the skin.

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TIFF: Lion

Over the next few months, we’ll be hearing the term "Oscar bait" a lot. Used as a pejorative for period dramas, biopics or anything that looks like old-fashioned storytelling, it can be both a blessing and a curse for late year releases. One such film already labeled with that tag is Garth Davis' "Lion", a heart-stirring adaptation based on an extraordinary true story. Indeed, this is a prestige film through and through. And it deserves all the awards attention it will likely get.

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TIFF: Death in Sarajevo

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This seems to be the overarching thesis guiding award-winning Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanović and his new film “Death in Sarajevo”. A cynical sociopolitical satire, this labored drama critiques the unsavory legacy of Europe’s checkered past.

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TIFF: A Monster Calls

After a summer movie season widely regarded as one of the worst in many years, many film lovers are understandably pessimistic about the future of the “popcorn flick”. The mainstream summer slate was almost universally criticized as vapid, noisy and simply lacking in “fun”, it reignited fears about the death of cinema. But of course, sometimes you just have to look harder to find gems in a constantly expanding international marketplace. And one such example is “A Monster Calls”, directed by Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona, which feels like an antidote to the curse that afflicted this year’s blockbusters.

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TIFF: Nocturnal Animals

It’s been a long time coming for fans of 2009’s “A Single Man”, the impressive debut feature that marked the arrival of an exciting new director in Tom Ford. But now, the wait is finally over and it was certainly worth it. Indeed, Ford makes a bold return to cinema with “Nocturnal Animals” a film that essentially offers two strong films for the price of one.

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TIFF: Free Fire

What do you get when you bring together 11 men, 1 woman, an abandoned warehouse and guns to spare? A perfect setup for a classic shoot-’em-up. And that’s exactly what Ben Wheatley brings with “Free Fire“, his latest, wickedly entertaining genre outing.

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TIFF: Loving

The sentiments behind this oft-quoted Bible passage are beautifully conveyed in Jeff Nichols' new film, aptly titled “Loving”. In one of the more authentic depictions of true, eternal love ever put to screen, a couple’s love is put to the test. But as 1 Corinthians 13 and this touching film teach us, love always perseveres.


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TIFF: Preview

With another edition of the Telluride Film Festival in the books, it’s time for cinephiles worldwide to turn their attention to arguably the biggest stop of the fall festival circuit – the Toronto International Film Festival. Once again, TIFF features a packed lineup of exciting films to unfold before audiences from September 8-18, culminating in an awards ceremony to crown the best of the festival. Of course, the biggest prize is the People’s Choice Award, seen as a bellwether for awards season success in the months to come. And this year, the prize will be hotly contested with numerous Oscar hopefuls making their premieres including "Lion", "A Monster Calls", "American Pastoral" and many more. Indeed, the possibilities are endless with 296 features and 101 shorts to choose from. Some hard decisions will therefore have to be made for the many attendees and those following along from afar, but Awards Circuit is here to help with our picks for the 15 Films to Watch at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

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COMING SOON: Toronto International Film Festival

September is officially upon us and for some lucky cinephiles it means one thing in particular...it's time for TIFF! In what I hope will be an annual tradition, I'll be heading back to the Toronto International Film Festival in just a few days for what will surely be another amazing experience. This year's lineup already feels like it's gonna be one for the history books and I'll be there to give you the lowdown on what's hot and what's not at this year's festival. Be sure to follow my coverage at The Awards Circuit. TIFF 2016 kicks off on Thursday, September 8th.

Check out the festival teaser below:

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